A Picture Worth a Thousand Words
by Dreamcreator
Summary: Long forgotten memories and old photographs always have stories to be shared.


**Hi!**

**Okay I wrote this story back when I had some really bad writers block and was just trying to overcome it. So if it's really really bad, then I do apologize for it. Let me know if I have made any mistakes whatsoever.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Iron Man**

**Please Read and Review!**

**Enjoy!**

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The Family Tree project had been Pepper's idea.

Tony didn't like it one bit. He didn't want to look through boxes of old items or worn out photos from the good old days. He really didn't care about whom his family was except for the fact that he was a Stark and needed to live up to that title. That was the excuse he gave Pepper leaving it at that, but she could read him very well after all the years they had known each other, knowing the real truth behind his resentment to the project.

It would bring back memories.

Memories of when Howard and Marie Stark were still alive. A time when they were a happy family, but taken away from them suddenly by one man who decided to drive while drunk. Tony didn't want to stir up the past, reminding him of happy and painful memories. He didn't need that now.

Thankfully Iron Man was needed, getting Tony out of the project much to Pepper's dismay. It was the typical villain wanting to take over the world, capturing the innocent and turning them into slaves to serve them. Tony thought it would be simple, but the maniac had some original ideas for fighting back the Avengers. It took them longer than usual, finishing up the mission till late at night.

Tony flew into his garage, taking the Iron Man suit off him. The metal was dented, scratched and there were a few scorch marks on it that the inventor had to fix. He wasn't going to worry about that until morning. Right now, he wanted to go snuggle in his soft comfy bed with his beautiful wife.

Walking up the stairs, Tony felt the aches and pains of the mission. Bruises littered all over his body, with a few cuts here and there. Pepper wasn't going to like it. She always worried about him, fearing the day he wouldn't be coming home anymore. There were many nights of reassurance from Tony, swearing that he will be coming back to her in one piece, even if he had to resurrect himself from the dead. Those were the hardest of nights for them both, mostly ending in tears and small kisses to calm themselves.

Sighing, he scratched his stubble chin and headed for the kitchen to get something to drink before heading to the bedroom. Suddenly he stumbled and fell loudly to the floor. Groaning and cringing from the impact, he opened his eyes and looked to see what made him trip. Turning back, he saw an old box on the floor, with dust covering it up and the tape all yellow and crinkled. But it was open.

Tony sat up and brought the box closer to him. Pushing the flaps to the side, he let out a small gasp from seeing its contents.

Photo albums.

His family's photo albums.

He stood still for moment, contemplating his choices: Put the box away and head straight to bed forgetting about ever seeing all of this or…finally face the memories that he had tried so hard to bury.

His curiosity finally won him over. Slowly taking one of the books, he opened it up. A small smile crept onto his face, as he saw the pictures of him, his mother, and father. Of them on their travels, picnics, and charity events. His father fixing up cars in the garage while Tony watched him and his mother cooking in the kitchen. The trouble he would get from just taking the cookies when his mother wasn't looking but finally caught him. He sighed with a sad smile. How beautiful his mother was, so young and happy, always having a smile on her face. He never knew why she married his father, with him being emotionless sometimes and neglectful, but somehow they clicked. They had never been happier.

Picture after picture, Tony remembered and somehow he didn't feel all that sad, but somehow uplifting. Like some burden had been taking off his shoulders. He couldn't explain it, but it seems Pepper had been right about this family tree project. He couldn't hide his past from everybody especially to himself.

He searched through the box, taking out more photo albums, finding his father's old camera and laughing at it. He forgotten how big those cameras were from the seventies compared to today's technology. Shaking his head he put the old antique on the floor and going back to the box. He spotted an old tiny photo album that had been apparently been buried under all the other larger photos. He picked it up and looked through it.

They contained pictures of his parents where they looked to be in their teens. Howard Stark pushing Marie on a swing set. Them having ice cream at some ice cream parlor. Most of them in his father's car (he still had that car tucked away in the garage) just cruising.

The next page had them in their early twenties, in a white dress and tuxedo. It was their wedding day, and Tony could not believe how his father smiled so big and so happy in every single photo, especially of the one with Marie smearing cake on his face. He laughed, but covered his mouth, hoping he didn't wake up Pepper.

When he didn't hear any noise from upstairs he continued to look through the book, till a photo fell out landing softly on the floor. Picking it up he glanced at the back reading_: Marie and Anthony_, along with the date written under it. Intrigued he flipped it over, only for his heart to beat faster than normal.

It was a picture of Marie, sleeping peacefully on a large king size bed. A smile lit up her face, her long black hair spread out all over her pillow. He definitely knew Howard had taking the picture, because he could feel the love and tenderness that the picture held. It was beautiful and his mother looked angelic, especially with her hand on her swollen belly.

Tony had to swallow his emotions down; to calm down or he would break into tears and Starks don't cry! He had entered a private place of Howard Stark's heart, one that he never revealed to anybody. But it was still there, and Tony was glad he found it. Carefully placing the photo back in the book, he put everything back quietly and neatly…till he came to the camera. An idea came to him and went straight upstairs with the camera in tow.

He had to keep up with the family tradition.

Pepper was sound asleep, surrounded by pillows and the sheets which she probably pulled off her in her sleep. Tony crept close by to their bed, and moving his father's camera to his eyes, took a picture of his sleeping wife.

She moaned quietly, "Tony…?"

He smiled and set the camera down, joining her on the bed and hugging her close to him. His arms protectively wrapped around her swollen belly. "Go back to sleep Pepper. We'll talk in the morning." He whispered gently into her ear.

"Love you." She replied and quickly fell back asleep. Tony kissed her forehead.

"I love you too. Both of you so much."

He wasn't afraid anymore. He would one day be able to share his memories, the good and the bad, with Pepper and his son. His son would know who his grandparents were, and how they lived. The name of Stark would still live on, through blood and memories.

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**Dreamcreator**


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